The Little Red-Haired Girl
by theicemenace
Summary: Brief moments in the life of the girl who would become the Black Widow.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: **A look into the life of Natasha Romanoff before she became the Black Widow.

Enjoy,

~Sandy

**The Little Red-Haired Girl**

**Chapter 1**

The fireman carried the child to the ambulance so she could be checked out by the paramedics, the older man following close behind. The girl was covered in soot head to toe. So much so that one couldn't tell the color of her clothing. One shoe was missing and her big green eyes blinked in the brightness of the sun in the sky above Stalingrad, her skinny arms around his neck holding on for dear life.

When the paramedic tried to put her down, she cried and held on tighter, tears making tracks in the dirt on her face. Ivan didn't blame her. She'd just seen her parents killed in a fire that had burned their home to the ground. The girl herself had been the only survivor due to his actions. Dr. Ivan Petrovitch, a behavioral psychologist, just happened to be driving by when he saw the house ablaze. Unfortunately, he hadn't been able to save the parents.

The child, no more than seven, shivered as the paramedics placed an oxygen mask over her mouth and nose, and wrapped her in a warm blanket. The female paramedic placed her on the stretcher, strapped her down, cleaned the dirt from her left hand and inserted an IV.

"Will she be alright?" Ivan was concerned that his actions had been futile when the girl began coughing. The male paramedic examined him as well, and he bore the man's attention with quiet dignity and grace, instead of the annoyance he felt for those he considered his inferiors.

"She'll be in hospital for a few days, but will be fine."

Ivan climbed up into the ambulance for the ride to the hospital. "She has no other family. Where will she go?"

"The orphanage, and hopefully from there she will be adopted."

On the drive to the hospital, Ivan talked quietly with the child, Natalia Romanova. She would be a perfect addition to his newest project with the government.

Over the next few days, Ivan kept in contact with the hospital to get updates on Natalia's condition. He even visited once, but she hadn't spoken. Just stared despondently out the window. The day she was released, he had been in a conference with the doctors with whom he would work on the project. They already had close to twenty subjects, but there was just something about Natalia that told him she would be their greatest triumph.

When the weekend came, Ivan took the long drive out to the orphanage, spoke with the doctors and administrators, filled out the necessary forms and then was taken to the play yard. There, among the other children laughing and playing, little Natalia sat alone under a tree. Some of the children tried to get her to join them in a game, but she just shook her head and went back to watching the clouds.

"There she is." Ivan nodded.

The administrator took off his glasses, cleaned and replaced them. "Which one again? We have so many new children just arrived this week."

"There. Under the tree." He tried to smile kindly, and it must have worked because the man smiled back. "The little red-haired girl."

Now that he'd pointed out her most prominent feature, the man nodded. He spoke briefly with one of the women watching over the children. She went to the girl and led her to them. "Hello, Natalia. I am Dr. Utkin and this is Dr. Petrovitch."

Natalia looked up at Ivan with those big green, innocent eyes and just for a moment, he felt bad about what he was taking her into. But only for a moment. He crouched down in front of the girl. "Hello, Natalia. I'm your new father and you're going to come live with me."

The only response from Natalia was to take his hand. He got to his feet and they walked to his car together. One of the matrons had already packed the girl's meager belongings, most of which had been donated to the orphanage, and included a stuffed bear. She clutched it to her chest as she settled into the back seat. Ivan would let her keep it for now. But later, it would be taken from her as there was no place for the display of sentimentality and weakness in the Black Widow project. Such things would be replaced with more important matters, if his life's work was to come to fruition.

Over his shoulder he said, "We'll be there soon, Natalia, and you'll meet the other children with whom you will be living. Would you like that?"

After a long moment, Natalia spoke for the first time. "Yes, Father."

**The Beginning**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: **Another look into the life of Natasha Romanoff before she became the Black Widow.

Enjoy,

~Sandy

**The Little Red-Haired Girl**

**Chapter 2**

While Natalia awaited her turn for the obstacle course, she performed her warm-up routine. Normally, she would get at the front of the line to set the bar high for the others. She _was_ the best and was frequently on the receiving end of insults and name calling. Dr. Petrovitch showed a marked preference for her over the others, giving her special treatment, and the other girls hated it. Of all the girls who lived with her, she was the only one who had a room to herself. She'd argued against it, but he was adamant that she needed to be alone in order to get adequate sleep.

She'd spent the last five years living in this cold, institutional building and remembered little of her parents. Occasionally, she would have dreams of awakening in the middle of the night to find her bedroom filled with smoke. Sleeping in with the other girls had made the nights she woke up screaming and gasping for air a little more bearable. Now that she was alone at night, she'd learned to muffle the sounds with her pillow before the matron heard and she was punished for getting out of bed for a drink or to splash water on her face.

The line moved again and as she took her place she pictured the course in her mind so that when it was time, she would be ready.

The shrill sound of the starting whistle blasted in her right ear, but that didn't impact her concentration at all. Vaulting into a flat out run, she jumped the hurdles one after another without touching them then climbed up the fence, over the top and down the other side.

At the mud pit, she grabbed the long rope and swung, lifting her feet and letting go at the apex of the swing to land in a crouch. Breaking into a run, she rounded the huge tree and headed back. When she reached the balance beam, she didn't slow down.

Jumping off the end, she rushed to the monkey bars. The near end was lower than the far end, each of the first five bars lower than the previous one then they angled up again until she was six feet off the ground. On the last bar, she swung herself to get momentum, letting go at just the right point to allow her to land on the bottom rung of the rope ladder.

She swarmed up to the top and down the back. Running to the opposite end, she lifted her knees high as she ran the tire obstacle.

Next up was a water hazard that was meant to resemble a small stream that she would have to leap over, which she did with ease.

A blank wall was just ahead. Picking up speed, she used her feet to push herself high enough to reach the top, flip over and jump down the other side. Another wall behind that one had a square cut out of it that resembled a window. Pushing off with both feet, she dove through, rolled to her feet, picking up speed until she crossed the finish line well ahead of her opponent. A nurse was there with cups of cool water and a towel to wipe her face and neck with.

The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end as the feeling of being watched made her want to run and hide. Walking in a circle to let her heart rate come down slowly, she saw Dr. Petrovitch standing in the shadow of the dormitory. Without even a nod of acknowledgment, he turned and went back inside.

Natalia didn't know why he watched her so closely, but she didn't like it. There was nothing she could do about it and so did not give it another thought.

The other girls glared at her as the trainer herded them inside to shower and have lunch. Today marked the first day of a new type of training. The instructors wouldn't say what it entailed except that it was important that they do well or they would be out of the program.

That thought scared Natalia. Time could be filled with studying or practicing her physical skills. But knowing that she'd failed the only father she knew was the most frightening of all.

~~O~~

Ivan watched Natalia on the screen as she completed the obstacle course in record time. None of the other girls had run, jumped, climbed, crawled and swung through the physical tests with the same skill and accuracy. She had also taken to the martial arts and hand-to-hand training with enthusiasm often injuring her trainers.

Younger than the others by a year, he could foresee a day when she too would succumb to the changes that were inevitable. The signs were already there-she'd grown a full two inches taller in the last two months. And according to her blood work, it was only a matter of time before she began to have a cycle. He'd seen it with the other girls. During those days, they would complain of the pain in their lower abdomens, headaches, anger, irritability, fatigue, lack of energy, the loss of concentration. For her to be able to perform their intended functions in the future, something had to be done now.

Natalia was his most promising subject, his shining triumph in a career that had been undistinguished until he'd caught the attention of the head of the KGB, Nikolai Solovynov. The minister had seen Ivan's potential to create the ultimate weapon against their enemies. One from which very few men would be immune. The only drawback to using females was their monthly physical imperatives that began with the onset of puberty.

In a separate area of the Red Room research facility, that team had come up with a way to halt the imperatives without stunting the growth of the individual. It had been tried with others and had failed. In several cases, they girls had bled to death or it had created mental difficulties that excluded them from the program.

Ivan turned to his assistant, a young and very bright geneticist by the name of Artyom Kuznetsov taking notes on a clipboard. "Begin administering the serum tonight. Half cc to start. Take blood every three days, increasing the dosage as the need arises."

**The Beginning**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: **Another look into the life of Natasha Romanoff before she became the Black Widow.

~Sandy

**The Little Red-Haired Girl**

**Chapter 3**

"I can't." Natalia kept all emotion from her voice so Dr. Petrovitch wouldn't reprimand her again. The time spent in the room had given her nightmares that were never ending. The walls, floor, ceiling and door were all painted the color of blood though she couldn't be certain if it was just a color or actual blood. Her keen sense of smell detected nothing, not even scents from the kitchen. Putting that thought aside, she looked through the scope of her rifle again. The man hadn't moved except to raise a cup of tea to his lips and take a bite of cookie. "What if he's innocent?"

The voice in her ear dropped into a chilling register. To some, it might sound like the purr of a cat. But to Natalia, it promised retaliation if she did not comply. "Does it matter? He is a danger to society, to the world, and must be eliminated. Do it now."

Still, she hesitated, the index finger of her left hand caressing the trigger. "That's what you said about Segey Lebedev."

"I promise you, that is _not_ the case here. There is incontrovertible proof that he's guilty of these crimes. Shoot him now!"

Again she hesitated. What if the man in her crosshairs was guilty and she let him get away? More people would die and it would be _her_ fault. Petrovitch's voice shouted in her ear. "Shoot _now!_"

Her finger spasmed and the man's head jerked, blood spattering everywhere. The crowd around him ran for their lives, some screaming, others horrified at the carnage. One lone person came forward to touch him on the neck, shaking his head sadly as the police and medics came running.

Natalia immediately began disassembling the rifle, quickly and efficiently packing it into the canvas bag at her feet. She hooked the strap over her shoulder, ran to the other side of the roof and climbed down to the fire escape. At the bottom, a car waited. She got into the back seat and it drove away from the scene. In the front seat were Petrovitch and Kuznetsov. She didn't like the way Petrovitch's assistant looked at her or how he kept watching her when he thought no one was looking. And the other day he's tried to trap her in a corner leaning closer and saying, "Call me Artyom, Natalia."

The feel of his hot breath made her skin crawl to be that close to him. She got the same feeling around every man she came into contact with, except Petrovitch. The head of the facility did have a special interest in her, but she knew it wasn't the same as Kuznetsov's. No, his interest was more like that of a man for a woman and she was still a girl, though that was changing.

Petrovitch broke into her thoughts by turning to look at her with a smile. "I'm very proud of you, Natalia."

She crossed her arms over her skinny chest. Partially to hide the recent changes her body had been going through and partially to show her annoyance. "I hesitated. Couldn't take the shot."

"But you _did_, and you performed splendidly." He held out a hand and reluctantly she put her much smaller one in it. "It _will_ get easier. I promise."

"May I ask a question?" When he nodded, she continued. "Is what we're doing right?"

Smiling, Petrovitch faced forward again. "Of course it is or we wouldn't be doing it, child."

Natalia nodded and looked out the window to watch the buildings change to trees as they left the city and turned onto the narrow road that would take them to the facility. "Dr. Petrovitch, how old am I?"

He looked thoughtfully out the window then back at her. She'd learned some time ago to read people's faces and body language. Whatever Petrovitch was about to say, it would be a lie.

"My child, you will be fourteen in two weeks." His face split into a smile. "We'll have a party and the cook will bake a cake. Would you like that?"

Wanting to say no because none of the other girls had been given a party, she forced a smile which he was completely taken in by. "Yes, I would."

**The Beginning**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: **Another look into the life of Natasha Romanoff before she became the Black Widow. ladygris has been doing the Beta on this story. Thanks!

Enjoy,

~Sandy

**The Little Red-Haired Girl**

**Chapter 4**

Getting into the back seat of the car, Natalia stowed the rifle in the secret compartment and waited for Petrovitch to say something. Usually he praised her for her kills, but lately he'd been lax in doing so. Sometimes she even had to prompt him. But not anymore. If he said nothing, she wouldn't either, choosing to take his approval for granted.

Now he seemed to have something more on his mind.

He'd been in conference with the other doctors at the facility nearly every day for the last two weeks. A few days ago, she'd climbed through the vent until she came to the conference room. She'd only been there a few minutes before the meeting ended and the doctors had filed out. The vent cover had only been back in place less than a minute when the matron had summoned her.

~O~

Knocking on the office door, she waited for Petrovitch to invite her in.

"Enter." Standing in front of his desk, hands behind her back, eyes straight ahead in the attitude of respect he demanded from his charges, her patience was tested. Ten minutes later, he spoke. "You've come a long way, child. It's now time for the next phase of your training."

"I'm already skilled with a large number of weapons as well as martial arts and hand-to-hand. In my training as an assassin, isn't that sufficient to complete my assignments?"

He came around the desk to perch on the corner. "That is only one way to achieve our goals. At times, there may be information that will need to be gathered from our targets. If we were to kill them, that information would be lost.

"Your sixteenth birthday nears. It's time for you to learn the art of making a man tell you anything, even if he doesn't wish to."

Natalia was confused. How can you force someone to give you information? "Torture? Isn't that counterproductive, as it could leave the target unable to speak at all?"

Petrovitch smiled and shook his head. "No, child. I'm talking about pleasure, though it too can be a form of torture."

"I don't understand."

"You will. First you will take lessons then when you've learned the many ways that a woman can please a man, it will be time to put theory into practice."

The thought of doing what he was suggesting made her nauseous. Bile rose in her throat, but she forced it down. "I prefer to continue the assassinations, if you don't mind, Dr. Petrovitch."

For the first time since she'd come to what was called the Red Room, or 2R facility, her mentor became angry with her. "But I _do_ mind! Your training will begin immediately and there will be no further debate on the subject."

He went back to his chair, pulled a stack of file folders to him and opened the top one effectively dismissing her.

Out in the hall, Natalia kept her features impassive, walking faster and faster. She hit the exit, barely slowing down as she broke into a run. When she reached the woods that abutted the back of the facility, she kept going, ducking around tree, bushes and logs in her path, not stopping until she couldn't go another step.

Her back against a tree, she slid down to sit, her legs pulled up to her chest. She turned her head to the side and rested her cheek on knees.

~O~

Petrovitch heard the exit door slam and knew that Natalia had left the facility. It was something she often did to keep from openly expressing her emotions in front of him or the other subjects. With a heavy sigh, he touched the intercom. A female voice answered. "_Da?_"

"Get the Red Room ready."

A pause then, "_Who?_"

"Natalia. She seems reluctant to continue her education and must be…persuaded."

"_She is a difficult subject. Quite…resistant._" The voice had little inflection as if the owner didn't care, but was imparting general information about the weather or the color of the trees.

Shifting in his chair, Petrovitch held in an annoyed sound. "Take as long as necessary. I'll bring you the data. Have it implanted tonight."

"_Of course, Doctor._"

~O~

Shivering from the cold, Natalia returned to the dormitory and her lonely room. Gathering up her nightclothes, she went into the shower, undressing wearily as she waited for the water to get hot. Standing under the spray, she just let it run in her face and down her body, slowly warming her chilled skin.

A sound, like the scuff of a shoe, alerted all of her senses. She turned the water off, taking the towel from the hook outside the stall. Stepping onto the cold tile, she wrapped the terrycloth around her and tucked the corner in to secure it as she soundlessly moved about the room.

There was a row of sinks that backed up against the bathroom stalls, but no one was there. Moving to the other side, the room was empty. Thinking the cold had fooled her ears, she returned to the shower for the smaller towel with which she began drying her waist-length red hair.

Again, she heard a sound. Dropping the towel, she spun, swinging her left arm at shoulder height. But she'd barely turned into the strike when she felt the prick of a needle on the side of her neck. Spots formed in her vision then there was nothing.

**The Beginning**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: **Another look into the life of Natasha Romanoff before she became the Black Widow.

Enjoy,

~Sandy

**The Little Red-Haired Girl**

**Chapter 5**

With a start, Natalia sat up in bed. The room was dark, just enough light from the moon drifting to allow her to see by. Turning her head side to side, she felt confused just for a moment, her muscles aching. The last thing she remembered was taking a shower and now she was in her room. When she peeked under the covers it confirmed that she was wearing her pajamas.

Reaching for her robe, she wrapped it around her as she shoved her feet into slippers and went into her private bathroom. Another perk of being Petrovitch's pet. She'd gotten over being upset that the other girls shunned her long ago and now took it as her due.

Looking at herself in the mirror, she saw the usual hazel eyes, red hair and perfectly arched eyebrows. She squinted at something on her neck that looked like a tiny bruise. Upon closer examination, she found a red dot in the middle that looked like an injection site. As fast as she healed, it would be gone in a day or so.

Turning from the contemplation of her image, Natalia attended to the needs of her body then returned to her room. She lay down again, but was unable to go to sleep for some time. Rolling onto her side, she finally fell asleep awakening in the morning at dawn.

She now received individual instruction rather than attending class with the others, yet all day, she felt as if something wasn't quite right. As if something were missing. Her wrists and ankles ached as well, but there were no bruises or marks to indicate she'd been injured.

After lunch, Natalia went to see the nurse. She was given her usual weekly injection then asked for a headache remedy. The nurse looked at her suspiciously, but gave her the tablets. Swallowing them with a small amount of water, she thanked the nurse and made her way to her next class.

She'd stopped thinking of Petrovitch as a father figure some time ago and only used the title of doctor when addressing him directly or speaking of him to another. To her, he'd become more of a handler than an actual teacher or mentor, but she never let him know she felt otherwise. To keep the peace, and to keep from being put out of the facility, Natalia continued to perform the tasks assigned to her. Yesterday morning had been her twentieth kill, and she no longer cared if they were guilty or innocent. All that mattered was getting through until the day she would be allowed to leave.

Settling into her seat, Natalia laid her notebook and pen on the table in front of her for taking notes. But instead of the foreign language instructor, an attractive woman in a fancy dress came in. She was tall and slim with a radiant smile, carrying a bag with handles. Sneaking a peek, Natalia saw what looked like a piece of clothing. The material looked very pretty and softer than anything she'd ever seen before.

"Hello, I'm Anna Bogdanov." She set the bag on the table. "Today's lesson is going to be different."

"Different how?" Anna smiled and Natalia found herself smiling back, something she hadn't done much of lately. The woman projected an air of friendliness and benevolence that was lacking in the staff here at the facility.

Anna pulled out the other chair and gracefully insinuated herself into the seat, crossing her legs and tucking her feet underneath the chair. Her spine was straight, shoulders back and down, and her head held proudly erect. Natalia sought to imitate her, and if Anna noticed, she was perceptive enough not to mention it. Her hands she crossed at the wrists and rested on the top knee. "Once you've changed, we will leave the facility and travel to the next town where I will instruct you on deportment, etiquette, poise, grace and elegance."

"Why must I learn these things? I don't need to know which fork to use in order to complete an assignment."

"If all you will be doing is removing a target then no, you don't need them. But as you will also be trained in espionage, you must learn to blend into your surroundings. To be at ease in any situation. There will also be training in the art of seduction."

"Dr. Petrovitch mentioned this before. What if I don't want to learn?"

Natalia had to give Anna credit. She had to be annoyed with her newest student yet she betrayed none of the signs. If Anna could hide her true feelings, perhaps there was something to this…art. Again, Anna smiled, indulgently, it seemed. "Is it the…physical aspects that you fear, my child?" Reluctantly, Natalia nodded. "There's no need to be afraid. Seduction is about more than touching and being touched by another. It's about convincing someone that _your_ ideas are _theirs_."

"I admit that I'm intrigued."

"Good. That's the first step." Anna pushed the bag across the table. "Change and apply your make-up. We'll leave as soon as you're ready. Tonight is like a…fact finding mission. Testing the waters and getting you used to being in an environment where you will come into contact with all sorts of people."

The most amazing of all the garments were the underthings. The panties only came up to the middle of her hips and the bra had no straps. Uncertain why this should be so, she put everything on then went into the bathroom.

Natalia once again examined herself, well, as much as she could see in the small mirror over the sink. The dress was made of soft and silky material. The deep emerald green brought out the color of her eyes, making them appear as emeralds themselves. The shoes had thin spiky heels that matched the jeweled neckline and shoulder straps of the dress.

A gentle knock came on the door. "Come in."

Anna was there, her blue yes giving her a critical once-over, an indulgent smile coming to her face. "In order to display your attributes for maximum effect, there are…adjustments to be made." Confused, Natalia watched as Anna demonstrated how to make…physical adjustments. "Once the garment is on…I believe the Americans would say that you will need to bring 'the girls' front and center."

And when Anna was done, her "girls" were indeed displayed more prominently. Again, Natalia was confused. "But isn't that false advertising? When you make them look larger than they are, aren't you tricking your target into believing a lie?"

A dazzling smile graced Anna's face. "Now you understand! That's exactly what you're doing. Seducing someone-man or woman-is all about advertising. The Americans have another saying. 'If you build it, they will come'." For some reason, Natalia thought that funny. She giggled then slapped a hand over her mouth to stop it. Anna nodded and Natalia obediently made the adjustments inside the front of her dress. "Now come with me. We're going on an adventure."

Remembering the ride back from taking out her most recent target, Natalia asked, "Am I not too young for such…lessons?"

Anna seemed confused. "You turned seventeen several months ago, Natalia. I was even at your party though we didn't get a chance to speak." As if Petrovitch's word was law, Anna took her hand and drew her into the hall. "You are a _woman_ now, not a child."

Stunned and not wishing to show it to this relative stranger no matter how friendly she appeared, the girl pulled free with a small smile. "I'll get my coat."

"That won't be necessary. I have coats in the car that are more appropriate for the venue for tonight's lesson." Anna left the room and Natalia obediently followed. "The first thing we'll work on is your walk. Always place the toes of your foot down first then the heel keeping your weight balanced on the balls of your feet. Your toes should face straight ahead and place one foot in front of the other. Take strides longer than your normal walk, but not too large or you'll look awkward. Look straight forward, chin level, swing your hips. Walk with confidence and grace. _Know_ that you are beautiful. Show it in your walk and with your smile."

Keeping everything in mind, Natalia slowly altered her steps until she felt her hips swaying and she began to feel as beautiful as the clothes she was wearing. Inside, her thoughts were still jumping around. Hadn't it been just today that Petrovitch had told her she would be sixteen soon? But now that she'd thought about it, she did remember the party. The cook had made a cake, just as Petrovitch had said she would, and it had been delicious. The memory made her smile.

The path to the main entrance took them past the offices where Kuznetsov frequently worked late at night and always with the door open unless Petrovitch or one of the other doctors were with him. Tonight he was alone. As Natalia and Anna passed his door, he glanced up then back to his papers.

Tonight, she heard the chair scrape across the floor as he got up and came to watch the two women walking away from him. If that was the reaction she was supposed to get when she moved this way, then she'd achieved her goal. As long as Kuznetsov didn't think she was encouraging his advances. She made a mental note to ask Anna what to do to discourage those you didn't want to attract because saying no didn't seem to be working with him.

Then again, perhaps it was time to start picking her own targets.

**The Beginning**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: **Another look into the life of Natasha Romanoff before she became the Black Widow. This chapter took a little longer to finish because it involves a delicate subject. I hope I've handled it well enough not to offend anyone's sensibilities.

Namaste,

~Sandy

**The Little Red-Haired Girl**

**Chapter 6**

It was the middle of the night when Natalia let herself back into her room. Stripping off her gloves, waist length leather jacket, hat and scarf, she went into the bathroom and climbed into the shower, staying long enough to chase away the chill of the night. Her last stop before returning to her room had been Petrovitch's office where she left a sealed envelope in Kuznetsov's name. Petrovitch's pet monkey had tried to corner her in the locker room one too many times and today she'd seen to it that none of the girls would have to deal with his bothersome exploits ever again.

The man had obviously believed himself to be God's greatest gift to the world as far as women were concerned and couldn't believe that the girls wanted nothing to do with him. Everything about him had repelled her. His voice, the way he walked, and especially his breath. His fondness for _rybnaia solianka_ was well known to anyone who had the bad luck to be in the same room with or stand near him for more than a few minutes. Now no one would have to ever again. And the best part was the body would never be found.

She dried off then dressed in her warmest pajamas. Going to the medicine cabinet, she took down a pre-filled syringe. Pulling down her right sleeve, she cleansed her upper arm, used her teeth to remove the cap and injected herself with the serum that prevented a chronic condition from reoccurring. Petrovitch had tried to explain, but all she understood was that it had something to do with her thyroid. If she didn't need this specialized medication, she'd have left the facility long ago. She was past the age of adulthood and more than able to support herself with the skills she'd been given.

Within a short time, she became drowsy. Crawling under the covers, she fell asleep almost instantly, not hearing when Petrovitch and a pair of his assistants came into her room. They lifted her onto a stretcher and wheeled her into the Red Room.

**The Next Evening**

Once inside the night club, Anna ordered them each a drink before checking out the clientele. Mostly there were businessmen either with colleagues or their wives and a few alone. Natalia had confidence in her abilities and was more than ready to try them out, but Anna insisted that she must walk before she could run.

"I don't understand how you intend to demonstrate this craft of seduction."

"It's simple. When I said that seduction is more about touching as it is putting ideas in another's head, I didn't mean physical touching, though that is part of it as well." Sipping her drink, Natalia shrugged on shoulder and waited for Anna to continue. She scanned the room, her gaze stopping on a gentleman sitting with another, obviously talking business. Anna watched the one on the right until he looked up. When his eyes reached hers, she smiled and tilted her head down just a bit. Keeping eye contact, she picked up her glass and took a sip, letting just the tip of her tongue catch a drop before it could fall. The man smiled back, stood and came to the table. They spoke briefly, he handed her his card and returned to his companion. "He was over there and I compelled him to come to me without saying a word."

Amazed, Natalia looked from Anna to the man, seeing how he kept glancing her teacher's way until he got up to leave. As he passed their table, he smiled and Anna returned it while Natalia just sipped her drink.

Over the next few months, Natalia and Anna went on many of these field trips. Each one instructive, teaching her more than she ever thought possible about attracting the opposite sex and how to get them to give her anything she wanted.

With Anna's direction, she'd gotten access to a man's credit cards which she used to purchase an entirely new wardrobe. Feeding her bank account wouldn't always be the goal, but it worked for her…at least for now.

~O~

_If you are unsure of a course of action, do not attempt it. Your doubts and hesitations will infect your execution. Timidity is dangerous. Better to enter with boldness. Any mistakes you commit through audacity are easily corrected with more audacity. Everyone admires the bold. No one honors the timid._

The words that Anna Bogdanov told Natalia that first night echoed in her mind again and again as sort of a mantra. And since that day, she'd lived according to those words, never backing down from a challenge, always being the first to step up, the first to volunteer and the first to complete any assignment.

Until today. Because today was different.

On this day, she would take all that Anna had taught her and put it into practice. With everything that she'd learned, she was ready to see this part of her education to its natural conclusion. For nearly a year, Natalia had been a student in the art of seduction and tonight was graduation.

She would be taken to the contact point where she would locate her target and take him down. Thankfully, Anna would not stay around to watch. They were quiet on the way into town, not at all how their trips usually were. Anna talked and Natalia asked questions, but there was no need for questions now. If she didn't know the score by now, it would never come to her.

They stopped in front of a club Anna had never brought her to before and Natalia understood that this was it. The moment of truth. Before they'd left the facility, Anna had given her everything she needed to complete her mission and Natalia had committed it to memory.

Inside the bar, Natalia shed her coat and took a seat at the bar. After ordering a glass of white wine, she scanned the room for the target, finding him sitting at the other end of the bar. The man had information that would help Petrovitch in his research. All she had to do was get him to give it to her.

Natalia just naturally fell into the rhythm and soon the man was at her side. They moved to a booth then to his car. From there it was just a short drive to his apartment where she showed him the time of his life.

The drug she injected him with would cause partial amnesia so she had no worries that he'd remember that she'd ever been there. If he remembered anything at all, it would be as an erotic dream.

In the bathroom, she put on the clothes she carried in her oversized purse then stuffed her red hair up under a fuzzy cap. Turning her coat inside out changed it from an alluring garment made of fur to a plain black pea coat. Outside, she walked down the street to a pay phone and made a quick call. A few minutes later, Anna pulled to the curb and Natalia got in beside her.

"How did it go?"

"Very well." Taking the folders from inside her coat, she laid them on the seat between them.

When they reached the edge of town and the lights of the facility were in view, Anna broke the silence. "And the rest?"

With a half-smile, Natalia shook her head. "That went better than well. And it's not like I haven't slept with a man before. This was just the first time I've had to take something more from him than a good time."

~~O~~

Anna nodded with satisfaction at Natalia's confident tone. The girl had been adamant that she would not sleep with a man for the first time just to complete a mission. A short trip to the Red Room had changed her mind. It hadn't taken long to convince her that she was not as pure as she believed herself to be. And after tonight, it was fact. She now believed that she was at least six years older than her actual age and had been with several men in her quest to take down a target.

Everything was working out just fine. Natalia would be their greatest achievement in the Black Widow program.

**The Beginning**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: **Another look into the life of Natasha Romanoff before she became the Black Widow.

Enjoy,

~Sandy

**The Little Red-Haired Girl**

**Chapter 7**

Holding the binoculars to her eyes, Natalia watched the man cross the street and enter the night club. It was still early so the place would be less than half full. After dark, more would come, and then she would make her move. From her observations over the last few days, her target would stay in the club until at least midnight so she had plenty of time.

Setting the binoculars aside, she padded into the bathroom. Her target preferred dark-haired women with blue eyes, so she stuffed her red hair up under a black wig and put in contacts that would turn her hazel eyes crystal blue. They hurt when she had to sleep in them, but that was all part of the game.

Examining herself in the mirror, she wondered why she didn't have more of the usual signs of aging. She had no wrinkles or lines around her eyes and mouth as she'd seen on others the same age. Maybe it was as Dr. Petrovitch had said. She just had good genetics. Not that she had family. Her parents were long gone and she couldn't even remember what they looked like.

Already in make-up and jewelry, she shimmied into her curve-hugging dress, Natalia adjusted the straps and smoothed the material over her hips. Lastly, shoes.

She returned to the facility and her lonely room over an hour later than she'd planned, but that didn't matter. Her skills allowed her to get in and out without being seen or heard.

A shower to remove the sweaty scent of her target and the bits of blood that had somehow found their way onto her skin and it was time to take her medication. She'd gotten into her pajamas and was about to inject herself when a sound in the hallway caught her attention. Setting the syringe aside, she flipped out the bathroom light and crept to the door, easing it open just a small crack.

Petrovitch and two of his trained lapdogs were pushing a stretcher down the hallway with one of the girls on it. She was covered with a blanket and her sleep didn't look normal. The stretcher bumped into the wall and the girl, Elena, didn't seem to feel it. To Natalia that meant she'd been drugged.

Going to her closet, she slipped on her rubber soled shoes, tucked her pajama top into the waistband and a small case into her pocket. Tiptoeing to the corner, she peeked around just in time to see Petrovitch unlock a door and follow the other men through. None of the girls at the facility had ever been allowed near the labs and it made her very curious as to why Elena would be taken there at any time, but especially in the middle of the night.

The door shut and the snick of the lock engaging sounded loud at this time of night. Natalia waited three minutes exactly then used the tools in her pocket to open the door. Flattening herself against the wall, she made her way to the first door on the left, the only one without a window. Just beyond it was another door. As she neared, she heard voices. Petrovitch and another man. The doctor who had replaced Kuznetsov, Tomasz Prochazka, was an east European medical researcher who'd emigrated just a year ago amidst controversy regarding his medical practices.

While in town one day, Natalia had looked the man up. Petrovitch had told them he was an orthopedist, but not why he felt the need to bring in someone with that specialty when he never had before. During her research, she'd found that Prochazka was actually a geneticist specializing in halting the aging process through manipulation of hormones, resetting the cellular clock, halting glycation and correcting genome errors. Side effects of the extended lifespan included physical and mental enhancements…and infertility. That made her even more curious. How could a doctor, someone who had pledged "first, do no harm", sanction procedures and practices that would halt someone's ability to pass on these traits to the next generation? Or was that the point?

Back flat against the wall next to a large window, Natalia listened to the doctors working for nearly an hour, and they weren't taking blood, urine or skin samples. They were manipulating Elena's subconscious mind. In effect, they were brainwashing her into believing that she's already done something that Natalia knew for a fact she hadn't done. The implications were staggering! If Petrovitch and the other were controlling Elena, did that also mean they were doing the same to the rest of them?

Natalia's mind had wondered for a few moments, but it was brought back so suddenly, it was like a physical blow when she heard the words Red Room. Terror turned her blood into ice. She'd had dreams about being strapped to a table in a room. The details wouldn't come, but there was no doubt in her mind that others had been brought here and had their perception of reality altered.

Returning to her room, Natalia kicked off her shoes and climbed into bed, pulling the thick covers up to her chest and holding tightly to the top edge. Petrovitch had to be stopped! The next time she saw Anna, she would seek the older woman's counsel. Surely she would go with Natalia to report Petrovitch to the Russian Medical Society. The facility would close down of course and the girls would be forced out into the real world for the first time, but what he was doing couldn't be allowed to continue.

And if the RMS didn't do anything, Natalia would take the matter into her own hands. She'd already done so on many occasions. After all, isn't that what they'd been taught? That the taking of one life was insignificant when weighed against the many you would save?

**The Beginning**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: **Another look into the life of Natasha Romanoff before she became the Black Widow.

Enjoy,

~Sandy

**The Little Red-Haired Girl**

**Chapter 8**

Two weeks later Anna came to the facility to take Natalia out for another mission. At least that's what Natalia called them. Anna called them adventures. The name meant nothing as long as Natalia got results.

Their number had shrunk down to thirteen from the original twenty-three. Several had developed medical conditions that excluded them and at least two had died from unknown causes. Unknown to her. And over those fourteen days, Natalia had seen or heard each of the girls taken to the room to be brainwashed. To test the theory, she would ask the other girls a series of questions about various subjects then ask again the next day. And by the time Anna visited again, all but Natalia had been taken into the room. That meant they would soon come for _her_.

On the way into town, for once Anna let her drive. At the halfway point, Natalia pulled over to the side of the road and stopped. "Anna, I need to talk to you."

"It can wait. Please drive on."

"No." The startled look on Anna's face satisfied Natalia's need to ruffle the woman's calm. As long as she'd known the older woman, she'd never seen her upset or angry or shocked. She showed almost no emotion whatsoever aside from the lift of one eyebrow. Until now. "This is too important."

"What's troubling you?"

Gripping the steering wheel, Natalia looked out the front window and calmly told Anna everything she'd heard and observed in the wee small hours. The questioning. The commands implanted. The drugs. But she never mentioned the nightmares she had that awakened her in the night leaving her afraid to go back to sleep until exhaustion took over and her body shut down in self-preservation. "Dr. Petrovitch and his team are performing experiments on us."

"Us?"

"The girls staying at the facility." She told her all that she'd seen as succinctly as possible.

Anna was silent as she digested the information. Then she asked, "If what you say is true, then how do you know that your own perceptions haven't been altered and what you think you're seeing isn't just a figment of your imagination?"

"I don't." Turning just her head, Natalia looked over at her companion. "That's why I'm asking you to speak to the Russian Medical Society on our behalf. Once they investigate and see what he's doing here, he will go to prison for a very long time."

With a kind smile, Anna gripped her right hand and nodded. "Of course. I'll call first thing tomorrow."

"Thank you." Natalia pulled back onto the road, the heavy weight that had settled on her shoulders loosening its grip.

~~O~~

Sliding into the driver's seat, Anna watched Natalia enter the shop on the corner. Her secondary target was the owner, the brother of the primary target. Cozying up to the brother, she would get the information that would lead them to Henrik Jacobsen, a Scandinavian physicist.

Natalia would be fine on her own. Pulling away from the curb, Anna drove for ten minutes then parked in the lot of a grocery store. She dug her cell phone out, flipped it open and dialed. It was answered on the second ring. "We have a problem…Natalia…she knows about the room…yes…tomorrow night would be best…I would consider it an honor to handle this one myself, Ivan…You're right. My training as a psychologist has been quite handy on this project. Thank you for the opportunity to be a part of the Black Widow program…I suppose you're right. It did help that my father is the Minister of Science." She closed the phone, tossed it into the passenger seat then headed for her destination.

**The Beginning**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: **Another look into the life of Natasha Romanoff before she became the Black Widow.

Enjoy,

~Sandy

**The Little Red-Haired Girl**

**Chapter 9**

On the screen, Anna watched Natalia's unconscious form. Only her chest moved as she breathed, the tranquilizer too strong for her to fight. Anna had just a few moments to do what she had to do before the others arrived. Her right hand touched the button to activate the microphone. "Natalia, listen to me very carefully. Dr. Petrovitch has been performing unspeakable acts upon you and the other girls. He _must_ be eliminated."

She followed with a long list of experiments that had been done to the girls, some of which were not true, though most were. At a time of her choosing, Anna would utter the trigger phrase and turn Natalia loose on Ivan. Once he was eliminated, Anna would then make sure her father, the Minister of Science, appointed her as the new head of the Black Widow program. She had just switched of the microphone when Ivan and two of his team entered the observation room.

Taking out his notepad, Ivan nodded. "Let's begin. Tonight we will erase all knowledge of the events she has witnessed in the last two weeks."

Dutifully, Anna said, "Of course."

Two nurses entered the Red Room to administer the drug cocktail that would make Natalia's mind pliant. The girl frowned in her sleep as if she'd felt the prick of the needle then settled again.

~~O~~

In the morning, Natalia awakened more refreshed than she had in a long time. She also had the urge to smile. Something she hadn't done as herself for far longer. Oh, she'd smiled in many different ways, but always for the mission, never when she personally found something worth smiling about.

Hearing the others moving about, she rushed through her morning routine, dressed and made her way to the dining room, choosing a seat at the table occupied by Elena, Sofia, Marya, Zoya and Devora. As she sprinkled fruit into her oatmeal, she noticed her companions were watching her movements with wide eyes. "What's wrong?"

Zoya, the spokeswoman for the group, exchanged curious glances with her friends. "You usually sit by yourself."

With a small confused smile, Natalia added a small amount of milk and stirred. "Excuse me?"

"It's true, Natalia," Devora agreed with Zoya, the rest nodding too.

Natalia thought it very odd that her friends would say such things, but she didn't pursue it. "Well, today I'm sitting with _you_. If that's alright."

Marya smiled and gripped Natalia's hand, using a former nickname for her friend, "Of course, Nata."

Later that day, Natalia heard whispers and some of the girls shot odd looks her way, as if her behavior were not the norm. How could it be otherwise? Though she played many parts when it came to her missions, here she could be herself. Ignoring them, she went to change for her workout.

Sometime later, Anna made an appearance though they hadn't been scheduled for training or a mission. The two women talked for a short time then her mentor-at least that's how she thought of Anna-left for the night.

Natalia's dreams that night were filled with frightening images. Distorted faces swam in and out, coming closer then fading away, or a child's sweet smile would turn into a repulsive and sickening reflection. She awoke with a start while it was still dark. Not wanting to go back to sleep, she went into the bathroom, opened the secret panel she'd created and pulled out a copy of _Pride and Prejudice._ It was a cliché, she knew, but the romance of the novel appealed to her when she was feeling…unhappy even though love was for children. After Ludmilla's disappearance, she believed it.

Opening it to the marked page, she began to read.

~~O~~

Using the special key she'd been given, Anna let herself into the wing where the Red Room was housed, casually glancing into each lab to make certain she wouldn't be disturbed. Returning to the Red Room, she stepped inside briefly then left the way she'd come.

Three days later, Anna convinced Ivan that her protégé needed one more session in the Red Room. The girl was brought in, her wrists and ankles shackled to the table while Anna and Ivan implanted information into her brain.

Tonight would be the last time anyone would have to take orders from Ivan. Starting tomorrow, Anna would lead the way.

"…that's it for now. Have Natalia returned to her room."

Dr. Prochazka nodded, making notes on his clipboard. "Of course, Dr. Petrovitch."

Anna waited until the orderlies had released Natalia's hands then activated the microphone. "Natalia, listen very carefully." Pausing, she spoke the phrase that would set everything into motion. "His old life lay behind in the mists, dark adventure lay in front."

**The Beginning**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: **Another look into the life of Natasha Romanoff before she became the Black Widow. Many thanks to ladygris for her Beta services.

Enjoy,

~Sandy

**The Little Red-Haired Girl**

**Chapter 10**

It was the middle of the night. Snow fell gently, the softness belying Mother Nature's ruthless plans for the area. Darkness oozed through the hallways of the secluded building, creeping over, under, and around the forms of the young women. They slept on, heedless of the horrors that lurked at the edges of perception known as dreams.

Even the caretaker and his wife rested, settled under the blankets and comforted by the warmth of each other's embrace.

But all was not peaceful in this place. The labs bustled with activity during the day and lay eerily silent at night. Except for tonight.

Natalia lay on the cold metal table wearing nothing but her pajama top, ankles and wrists shackled. The only thing that penetrated her drugged mind was the voice that fed her information. Cookies for the human brain.

Eventually, the voice stopped speaking and her dreams settled as well. That is until she heard another familiar voice. One that she trusted not knowing that her trust had been betrayed from the beginning.

"_His old life lay behind in the mists, dark adventure lay in front._"

Coming fully awake, Natalia jerked free of the hands that tried to hold her. She broke one man's nose before slamming him head first into the soundproof concrete wall. His skull fractured, and he'd likely not survive.

The second man made the mistake of staying to fight instead of running for his life. A life that ended with a quick twist of his head, breaking his neck and severing his spinal cord.

Her feet hit the cold floor, but she barely felt it as she removed a pair of handguns from under the table and headed for her next target: Petrovitch and his disciples. The man himself cowered in the far corner of the observation room behind a file cabinet watching as she took out the others one at a time.

When Natalia stopped shooting, her breaths rasped in and out as if she'd run a great distance. And with merciless glee, she let him think he'd escaped her wrath. At the last possible moment, she dragged him out so that he could see what she'd done, and what he'd turned her into. Then, without one ounce of remorse or shame, and ignoring his pleas for mercy, she put the gun against his temple. "See you in hell!"

And pulled the trigger over and over until the hammer clicked on an empty chamber.

Blood, bone and brain matter sprayed over the room and on her, soaking her clothing and turning her red hair dark with the blood of the man who had unmade the innocent little girl she'd once been. A moan came from the pile of bodies, but Natalia didn't even pause as she left the room, pulling the door shut behind her.

At the end of the hall, she let herself out of the lab wing, her feet dragging as she returned to her room and got into the shower, letting the hot water pound on the back of her head. Turning so the water would hit her in the face, she realized she was still wearing her pajama top. Stripping it off, she let it fall into the tub then reached for the shampoo. It took two washings to get all the blood out. Looking down, she saw the water running red as if it were _her_ blood.

Blinking, her eyes focused again, but she still saw the red. It dripped and gushed over her hands. She closed her eyes and shook the vision loose, and when her eyelids lifted again, the water ran clear.

She twisted the knob to the off position with an angry flick of her wrist, climbed out and methodically dried every inch of her body then started on her hair. That done, she dressed as if for one of her sniper missions in her black jumpsuit and boots, pulling on a pair of gloves that had been made just for her.

After killing Petrovitch, Natalia had taken the key ring he kept clipped to his belt. As quietly as possible, she went to the storage shed squatting fifty yards from the main building, stuffing her backpack full. Hooking it over her shoulder, she returned.

~~O~~

Pain greater than any she'd ever known kept Anna still as Natalia methodically killed the others, saving Petrovitch for last. As the young woman turned to go, Anna closed her eyes and held her breath so she wouldn't get a bullet between the eyes. She hadn't anticipated that Natalia would kill everyone, not just Petrovitch.

When the door closed behind Natalia, Anna summoned all her strength to roll Prochazka off of her legs so she could scoot close enough to the desk to call for help. Then she remembered that Natalia had yanked the phone from the wall.

Using the desk chair for support, Anna got to her feet, holding on when a wave of dizziness and nausea caused her to stumble. Catching herself on the edge of the table beside the door, she opened it enough to listen for movement. There was none, so she yanked on the door slamming it against the feet of female doctor, another of Petrovitch's protégés.

Supporting herself with one hand on the wall, she made her way slowly to the hidden exit at the far end. But before she could reach it, she fell, landing on her stomach. Rolling onto her side, she looked back and saw the trail of blood drops on the floor. The wall was smeared with it as well, interspersed with the occasional bloody handprint.

Reaching up, Anna managed to get her fingers on the doorknob, but the blood made her grip slippery. The last of her strength faded as her vision grew cloudy and darkness every bit as black as the night settled over her like a blanket. She'd been cold before, but felt warm now, and somewhere inside her stuttering brain she knew that wasn't a good sign.

~~O~~

Leading the other young women to the parking lot, Natalia put them into several of the cars. "We're free now. We can do as we please. Go, and try to forget this place ever existed."

With Zoya, Marya and Elena driving, she sent them on their way just as the sun began to glow at the edge of the horizon.

Once she knew they were far enough away, Natalia removed a device from the pocket of her jacket, flipped the guard up, muttered, "Fire in the hole" and hit the button, turning her back as a series of explosions ripped the building to shreds.

Without looking back, Natalia got behind the wheel of Anna's car rationalizing that it couldn't be called stealing if the owner was no longer alive.

At the end of the drive, she finally looked back watching the flames leap into the air. Turning in the direction opposite to that taken by the others, Natalia left behind the only home she remembered for a world she barely knew.

**The Beginning**


End file.
